


Ships In The Night

by mayawrites95 (mayarox95)



Series: Wish Upon A Star [195]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-16 02:31:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7248532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayarox95/pseuds/mayawrites95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With Walsh spinning lies about Emma, and Killian going down a dark spiral after a break up, the media hasn't been printing positive press about either of that. Topped off with a casting director who isn't all that sure of their chemistry, their managers suggest they pretend to date to guarantee them the role, and place them in a positive light once more. But can they both keep up the act without it turning into anything more?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ships In The Night

Emma tossed the paper aside with anger. The last thing she needed this morning was another story that Walsh had decided to spin, trying to make her seem crazy and unstable. And it definitely didn’t help that he had been seen out and about with Zelena, the woman he had cheated on her with, less than a week after their very publicised break up.

So now she seemed like some sort of scorned spinster who apparently lost the break up, according to Hollywood’s terminology.

She never asked for the fame, but she supposed it came along side being an actress. And when she had chosen the career over a decade ago, she had pretty much signed away her rights to privacy. It had started a few months after her son’s birth, when she had decided to take her life into her own hands. She had been devastated when her then boyfriend, Neal, had broken up with her after finding out she was pregnant.

As the son of a politician, and an aspiring politician himself, he didn’t want to deal with the fall out of their out of wedlock pregnancy. And he used the chance to tell her just how displeased he was, and that he never even loved her. Suffice to say, she hadn’t heard from him since.

It had broken her heart, and on the verge of eighteen, she felt like her life was over. And honestly, if it weren’t for her mother and father standing by her, she didn’t know what she would have done. Her parents had helped her raise Henry

It had been her mother who encouraged her to audition for her first role. She had always been passionate about acting, and as the daughter of her mother who was a famous singer and her father, a famous actor, she had practically grown up in the lime light. However she didn’t want to audition for the role and get it due to her parents, so she used a stage last name, of Swan, instead of her given name, Nolan.

And when she got the lead role on a show of a bails bondwoman who often paired up with a Detective, played by Graham Humbert, she had been ecstatic. The show had lasted five seasons, ending on a high note.

Her career had only grown from there. She had acted in a variety of movies and shows, even singing every now and then.

So if Walsh thought he could destroy everything she had fought for, then he had another thing coming.

Especially when she was on the verge of gaining a new, high profile role. She had already had two auditions for it, and now she needed to do a screen test with the male lead, to see if the two of them had chemistry together.

Emma was excited for the part; she had never played anything like it, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t want the part. She would be playing a woman, who had been raised in solitude her entire life, only to be found by a pirate. Together, they sail away and slowly start to fall for each other. And along the way, they discover she’s a princess, hidden away until her eighteenth birthday so she can return to her kingdom and break the curse that has frozen time in her entire kingdom. The script ends on a happy note with the princess being reunited with her family, and marrying the pirate, as the two of them continue to have adventures.

She sighed, as she walked into the casting room.

“Emma!” she heard August Booth, the casting director say. “I’m glad you could join us. Killian Jones, the actor we’re considering for the male lead isn’t here just yet, so why don’t you take a seat until he gets here?”

Killian Jones, or play boy extraordinaire. Always seen with a different woman for the course of his career, until a year ago. She remembered because the press had speculated for weeks what could have caused the man to stop sleeping his way through Hollywood, but it seemed like no one had any answers. All they knew was that Jones had decided to reform his ways. That is, until two months ago when it seemed like the actor had spiralled out of control. From drinking, to partying, to starting fights, Jones partook in it all.

And yet, it seemed like somehow he was being considered for this role.

She had been there for almost half an hour, before Killian Jones decided to grace them with his presence. He staggered in late, looking completely unapologetic, as he greeted August Booth.

She rolled her eyes at his behaviour, but stood taking her script as she went over her lines with the man.  She could see why August thought he may be a good fit for the role of the pirate; his swagger and smirks as he read his lines.

She only hoped that their chemistry would be enough to secure them the roles.

As she was leaving, she was surprised to see Jones running up to her.

“Swan, wait,” the man said, as he caught up to her. “How do you think it went?”

“It could have gone a lot better if you weren’t late,” she said, rolling her eyes at the man. “What was so important that you couldn’t have bothered to show up on time?”

“Slept in,” the man said causally.

“You slept in?” Emma asked incredulously. And she was annoyed. How did he not see how important this was? This role could be big for both of them. Sure, she had her share of large roles in the past. But this was different. It was the chance to branch off into a different genre; to try something new and push her acting abilities.

Jones shrugged, “I must have been tired,” he said, holding the door open for her. “Gentleman, Love,” he told her when she raised a brow at him.

“Not your love,” she said, getting irritated with the man, “Look, I’m running late for something, so I’ll see you around, Jones.”

“Looking forward to it,” he said, giving her a grin.

She sighed to herself, wondering just how she would get through acting alongside the man whom she was quickly finding to be insufferable. That was, assuming she even got the role.

* * *

 

“Emma, you need to check out this article,” Regina said over the phone, as she texted her a link.

**_Hollywood’s Princess Emma Swan Seen with Bad Boy Killian Jones_ **

Her eyes scanned over the article, and the gist was that the paper was speculating she was in some sort of hot steamy relationship with her possible co-star. The report had made it seem as if the two of them had been sneaking around for weeks, having a torrid love affair.

Part of her wanted to laugh; the other part wanted to be sick.

“We need to meet to discuss this…development,” Regina’s voice said carefully.

“Regina, you know that it’s not true,” Emma said softly.

“Of course I do,” Regina said, and Emma could practically hear her roll her eyes through her phone, “But we need to discuss some things, including your role in Booth’s project.”

“Has something happened?” she asked, eagerly. She needed to know if she had gotten the part, and if she had, it would have been one of the first things Regina said to her.

“We’ll talk about it in person,” Regina promised. “Come by my office in an hour.” And with that, the woman hung up, leaving her very confused.

* * *

 

What she hadn’t been expecting, was to see Killian Jones sitting across from Regina’s desk when she arrived at her manager’s place.

“What is he doing here?” she asked, a little irked.

“Sit down, Ms Swan,” Regina said in a professional manner. “We need to talk.”

“What happened?” she asked curiously, as she took a seat next to Jones and a man she assumed to be his manager.

“As you know, neither of you have been receiving good publicity lately. Between Walsh spreading lies about you, and Killian going on bit of a bender, it hasn’t been good for either of you.”

The other man coughed, and Regina said, “You can’t deny he’s been acting up a little.”

“What’s your point?” Emma asked, trying to push the conversation back on track.

“My point is that article I sent you this morning was the first piece of good press either of you have gotten in the last little bit. And judging by the two of you trending on twitter, I would say the public is very excited about the prospect of the two of you being romantically involved.”

“But clearly we’re not,” Jones said, raising a brow at the woman. “Robin, are you asking us to lie to our fans?”

“Absolutely not,” Emma said, understanding where the conversation was going. “I refuse to pretend to date him to get a bit of good press. Whatever Walsh says about me will blow over in a few weeks anyways. It’s not worth it.”

The man, Robin, said, “I’m not going to lie to the both of you. The casting directors are a little unsure of your chemistry together. It’s between you and another pair. And it most certainly does not help that the two of you haven’t been doing too well in the eyes of the media. But this could sell your case. The public are already buying the two of you as a couple. A few more stories like this, and you’re guaranteed the role.”

“And if we refuse?” Emma asked, defiantly.

“I’ve never forced you into anything you didn’t want to do, Emma,” Regina said firmly. “If you don’t want to pretend to date Killian, you don’t have to. But this would do wonders for your career. For both of your careers.”

She sighed, feeling a headache coming on, “Okay, but I have one condition. I tell Henry the truth. I will not have him hurt by this ruse.”

Regina’s eyes softened at the mention of Emma’s son. As her long-time manager, she had watched Henry grow up, and cared for the boy as if she were her own.

“Henry?” Killian asked, looking at her in confusion.

“My son,” she explained. “Whom I go through great efforts to protect from the circus of the press.”

“Aye,” Killian said, understanding, “I agree that you should not have to deceive your boy.”

“Perfect,” Regina said with a clap of her hands. “We’ll leak a story in the morning.”

Which was how Emma Swan came to be dating Killian Jones.

* * *

 

When she gets home, her son is propped up on the couch waiting.

“Is it true?” he asks, less than a moment before she walks through the door. “Are you dating Killian Jones?”

He’s bouncing as he stands up to see her, and she can’t help but feel a rush of love for her son. She knew her son loved the actor; hell he practically begged her to watch _The Undead_ with him every week, in which Killian starred as the leading role of Captain Charles, who fought zombies each week, and tried to restore the country from its post-apocalyptic state.

“No,” she said, and she saw her son frown. “But I need to talk to you about something. Regina wants me to pretend to date him though. She says it will land us the role in that movie I was telling you about.”

He looks thoughtful at that, “Does that mean he’ll be hanging out with you more often?”

“Perhaps,” she said, not wanting to get her son’s hopes up. Because she doesn’t really know Killian Jones. Sure, he’s cocky and arrogant. But how would he treat his fans?

“Can you get me his autograph at least?” Her son asks, and she can’t deny him that. Hell, she’d forge it if she had to.

Half the reason she had told Regina that she didn’t want to lie to her son was because she refused to have him get hurt. Sure, her son had never been lacking in love. Her parents actively visited and spoiled him. And then there was Regina who was kinder to her son than to most people.

But he didn’t exactly have a lot of father figures in his life. Neal hadn’t contacted her once since the day when he left her, despite her fame.

She had dated her co-star Graham for a while, but he had suffered a fatal heart attack just after the finale of their show.

She had dated a few others here and there, but nothing serious. And then there was Walsh, who clearly didn’t turn out to be so great.

So it was safe to say that she didn’t exactly have the best track record when it came to relationships. And Emma refused to let her son get hurt over it.

* * *

 

She woke up bright and early the next morning. Regina and Robin had already arranged for them to go on a “date” to make their relationship seem more real, and despite her reluctance, she goes anyway.

She made sure to dress up slightly. She put on a nice pink summer dress, and put her hair up. She might as well play the part if she’s going to be photographed.

To her surprise, Killian is at the café before her, sitting at a table outdoors. He’s wearing sunglasses and a hat, pretending to be incognito, yet to any careful observer, his identity is not hidden. She supposes that’s the point; for them to pretend to be hiding it, yet obviously the story still needs to leak.

As she approached him, he stood up to pull out a chair for him. If Emma wasn’t certain that this was all part of an act, she would have been charmed.

He makes small talk, and she smiles for appearance sake and they talk about the weather.

“You look lovely, Swan,” he said in a low voice. “I must say, I hope that the two of us do get this part, because I think the two of us could have a lot of fun with this _relationship_ we’re pretending to play a part in.”

She shook her head at him, “No. this is strictly professional,” she said firmly. “I’m not going to be one of those woman who you think you can have a fling with and toss away at the next second. We’ll get our good press, and land the roles, but then we’ll go our respective ways. This is nothing more than a mutually beneficial, **platonic _,_** relationship.”

“As you wish, Swan,” he said, leaning forward so his face is inches away from hers.

“What are you doing?” she hissed, unsure of his actions.

“There’s a paparazzi behind me,” he whispered, and she felt her stomach flutter “From this angle it will look like we’re kissing. Or at the very least being intimate.” He pushed a strand of hair out of her face, and tucked it behind her ear, causing her to shiver.

She doesn’t say anything, but tilts her head to make it look more realistic.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said a few moments later, and the spell breaks.

“It’ll take me a bit for my ride to show up,” she said with a shake of her head.

“My ride is just out back,” he told her, “I can give you a lift home if you wish.”

She isn’t really sure why she took his offer, but she did. Which is how she found herself on the back of his motorcycle, racing through town like it’s no big deal.

She isn’t afraid of fast speeds, but her hands slipped around his waist anyways.

When they reach her place, she hesitated for a second. They had a rocky date, and while he proved he isn’t a complete asshole, she still doesn’t trust him. But she knew her son was home, and at the end of the day, she would do anything for him.

“Would you like to come in?” she offered, and when he smirked, she added, “My son is a huge fan of yours, and he would love to meet you. Get your mind out of the gutter, Jones.”

He nodded solemnly, “I would love to meet your boy, Swan.”

When they two of them walk through the door, Henry lets out a gasp. He immediately ran over and without taking a breath, began to bombard Killian with questions.

“Let the man at least sit down, kid,” she teases, and Henry gave her a sheepish look. “You would think growing up in a family of celebrities, you would have a calmer reaction to meeting someone famous.”

“It’s not just someone famous, Mom,” Henry said, as if she just didn’t get it. “It’s _Killian Jones_!”

“Aye, but I must say your mother is far more impressive than I,” Killian said smoothly. “I would be far more impressed to meet her than myself.”

Henry rolled his eyes at that, “I suppose she’s alright,” he said, giving his mother a sly smile.

She laughed, and Henry returned to asking Killian questions about his role on _The Undead_ , and what it’s like working with the cast. He wistfully mentioned wanting to visit the set, and Killian told him that he can come by anytime he wanted to, providing that it was okay with his mother of course.

Regina called a few hours later, while the three are eating pizza on the couch, watching movies that neither of them had starred in.

“The story leaked an hour ago,” Regina said, “The picture of the two of you kissing has gone viral. The hashtag _CaptainSwan_ has been trending and people tumblr already have started writing fanfics about the two of you. And it worked. The director just called, and said that you were offered the part, alongside with Killian Jones. Congrats!”

She hung up the phone with a smile, and saw her son and her-Killian looking at her expectantly.

“We got the roles!” she exclaims, and Henry let out a whoop while Killian raised his beer towards her.

For better or for worse, it would be an interesting few months.

* * *

 

She thought they would end the ruse shortly after. They got the parts after all. But a meeting with both of their managers suggest otherwise.

Robin said it’s better to keep it up for a few months at least; that if they break it off too soon it will look like some sort of fling. And that is not what either of their careers need at the moment.

It seemed as if Walsh has stopped spinning tales about her; either that or the papers just don’t care anymore. Her and Killian are far more interesting to the readers than some bitter lies an ex claims to be true.

Killian has stopped acting out too, and she’s glad for that. He still annoys her with his quips and flirtations, however he’s become far more bearable. Or she’s just softened up to him; something she hopes is not true.

Henry is ecstatic about the Killian hanging out at their place more nights than not, ordering pizza and playing video games. It breaks her heart to see the two of them bonding, and she’s scared that after all of this is over, he won’t want anything to do with her son, or with her.

At the very least, they’re friends, so she hoped it means that he’ll stay in her life, even after they’re done shooting.

They’ve talked a lot of the past few weeks.

Despite her hesitance, she told him about Neal and how he deemed his political career more important than her or her son. Killian seems furious at the prospect, and promises her that he’ll give the man some choice words if he ever were to come in contact with him.

He told her the truth behind why he went on a bender in the first place. Killian Jones, play boy extraordinaire had fallen in love, or at least he thought he had. He had been having an affair with Milah Gold, an older actress, who was the wife of Robert Gold, a well-known director. And the entire time she had been promising him that she would leave her husband for him.

Until one day he begged her to leave with him, and Milah had laughed and told him that the two of them were just having fun, but she’d never actually leave her _rich_ , successful, husband for him.

He had been heartbroken and furious, and acted out it response.

He also told her that he had gone into acting after the death of his brother, who had given up everything to make sure Killian didn’t have to grow up on the streets.

She could feel herself growing closer to the man, and it terrified her. And that coupled with all the acting, both for the film and in the public, she was starting to find it hard to distinguish between fiction and reality.

* * *

 

Her parents insist on meeting him when they’re half way through filming, despite the fact that she’s told them time and time again that it’s nothing but an act.

One would think that her parents themselves weren’t famous, by how excited they seem to be to meet him. Well at least her mother was. She thought he was charming based on his interviews, and seemed to believe that the two of them would somehow manage to fall for each other.

Her father on the other hand, doesn’t trust Killian for even a second. He seems to believe that the man pretending to date his daughter is going to end up hurting her in some way or the other. And despite her insistence that the two of them are just friends, he doesn’t quite believe her.

And so she found herself at dinner with Henry, her parents, her godmother Ruby, who was also a famous popstar, and Killian.

Ruby and her mother seemed charmed by the man, asking him questions about his different roles and the direction he thinks his show is going to go during the next season. Killian, gives them a knowing look, and tells them that he can’t tell them too much, other than saying it’s going to be an intense one.

Her father on the other hand, grilled the man on his intentions, as if the two of them actually were dating. But she can tell he’s slowly starting to come around. Despite his reluctance, Killian Jones had swayed David Nolan into being his friend. And they had already set up a day to go sailing together, just the two of them.

She smiled at how easily he seemed to fit into her life, and felt a pang of sadness a moment later.

They’re just friends after all, pretending to be something more.

* * *

 

Filming wrapped up a few month later, and the two of them had decided to go out for dinner to celebrate.

Despite how much the two of them have hung out and been seen together in public, her stomach still flutters when he pulls out a chair for her.

She knows it’s all for the cameras and for public appearance, but it still affects her.

Killian went to the bathroom just before their desserts arrive, and she teased him, saying she can’t promise that he’ll have anything left if he doesn’t hurry. He smiled at that, popping down and placing a kiss on her forehead before leaving the table.

He isn’t gone for even five minutes when Walsh slipped into his seat, facing her with a smile.

“How have you been?” Walsh asked her, and Emma felt herself grow irritated.

“Why are you here, Walsh?” she asked, half curious, half annoyed. She hadn’t heard from in months, and honestly, she hasn’t even thought of him since the beginning of her relationship with Killian.

“I miss you, Emma,” Walsh told her honestly. “I wanted to get back together with you right after we ended, but you had moved on. And I can’t live without you. Please, come back to me. We were so happy together; we could be happy together again.”

“I don’t want to,” she told him firmly, “Walsh, you’re the one who cheated on me, and then trashed me to the press. Why would I want to be with you again, after that? Now leave, Walsh. I’m done with you and with this conversation.”

Walsh reached out, grabbing her wrist firmly.

“Let me go,” Emma said, in a dangerously low voice.

“Emma, just give me a chance,” Walsh said again, as he squeezed her wrist tightly. “I deserve that much.”

She lifted up her foot and stepped on him hard, driving her heel into his shoe. Walsh let out a painful cry, as he stood, looking furious.

“You little-”

“I think it’s time for you to go,” she heard a voice say. She looked up, and saw Killian standing there, looking furious.

Walsh looked hesitant, and Killian gave the man a dark look.

“You left Emma, and hurt her. And the moment you did so, you lost all rights to have any place in her life. Now I want you to leave, and if I ever hear that you tried to do anything like this ever again, I promise you, that you’ll regret it. Now, I would like you to leave, so Emma and I can go back to enjoying out evening, without you,” Killian finished.

“Thank you,” she told him softly, when Walsh finally left them alone. Killian took her wrist in his hand, and rubbed it softly, trying to sooth the red marks away.

“Any time, Love,” he told her softly. “I just wish I had stopped him from ever laying a hand on you in the first place.”

He throws a couple hundreds on the table as they finish their desserts and said, “Do you want to get out of here? I have something I want to show you.”

She’s intrigued at that, and she nods as she took his hand and followed him out of the restaurant.

They walk for a bit, and she’s still holding onto him. She tries to get him to tell her where they are going, but he simply shakes his head and smiles.

The two of them reach the docks a few seconds later, and the two of them sit on a bench. He wraps an arm around her, and she finds herself leaning into him as he tells her about the stars. She’s intrigued by his tales, but in spite of it, she finds herself distracted by the man beside her.

She’s falling for him, and she knows it. And despite how much she’s tried not to, she’s fallen deeply for him.

And all of these pretend dates aren’t doing her any good. Because it’s causing her to need him, and want to be with him.

She wishes she could date him for real, and she knows that it’s going to hurt her when their little charade is over.

* * *

 

The movie premiered shortly after that, and she attends with Killian. She wore a long red ball gown, and his arm is around her in practically every shot.

And at the request of the press, he places his lips on her cheek for a few shots. She already knows that today is probably one of the last times they’ll have to pretend to be together, and she can already feel her heart breaking. But for now, she’s taking comfort in the fact that she has him for a bit longer.

As the reach the end of the red carpet, his hand falls from her body. They sit in silence for the rest of the film.

It’s a good movie. There’s action and adventure, as Emma and Killian play princess and pirate, attempting to break a curse. And their chemistry is believable; she can practically see the shippers on the internet making photosets of the two of them. Why wouldn’t it be; it wasn’t really acting on her part.

Later, Robin and Regina pull them aside.

“You don’t need to pretend to date anymore,” Robin told them. “We can release a statement in the morning, saying the two of you had an amicable separation.”

“You both did good together,” Regina said, giving Robin a soft smile, and if Emma weren’t so caught up in what it meant to be having this talk, she would have made a note to question her friend about it later.

The two of them leave her alone after that, and Killian looks a little conflicted.

She wonders if he’s going to say something, and she wishes he would. She wants some sort of indication that he cares about her, anywhere near as much as she loves him.

“It was nice knowing you, Swan,” Killian says simply. “I hope I’ll see you around sometime.”

Her heart breaks at that, and she smiles softly until he leaves her line of sight, and then feels herself start to break down.

She leaves as quickly as she could, getting into her car and telling the driver to take her home.

Henry is asleep when she gets home, and she falls onto the couch after throwing on a pair of sweats and an old t-shirt, letting the tears fall freely for the first time that night.

It had been a pipedream to hope that Killian cared for her too, and yet here she was.

“Emma?” she heard her mother ask as she came into the room. She had forgotten that she had asked her mother to come by and watch Henry while she was gone. “What’s the matter?”

“We don’t need to pretend anymore,” Emma said softly, trying to wipe away her tears. “So it’s over.”

“And you love him,” her mother said knowingly.

“Yeah,” Emma said, looking down. “I do.”

“Emma, you must know he cares about you too,” Mary Margaret said as she stroked Emma’s hair. “He can never take his eyes off of you when you’re around, and he constantly lights up when he talks to you. There was no way he was acting. You should talk to him, and tell him the truth of how you feel.”

“And if he doesn’t feel the same way?” she asked, softly.

“Then you move on,” her mother told her. “And know that your father and I are always here for you. No matter what happens, you won’t be alone.”

She nods softly, and lets her mother continue to comfort her.

She wakes up the next morning, to a banging on the door. She had fallen asleep on the couch, and her mother must have placed a blanket on her sometime during the night. She stands, confused, as she makes her way to the door.

She opens the door and see’s Killian standing there, holding flowers and looking nervous.

“Killian?” she asks, as she sees that he looks as if he hadn’t slept all of last night. “What are you doing here?”

“Emma, I don’t want us to be ships in the night. I don’t want for us to keep seeing each other in the future, and constantly think of all the what-ifs. I don’t want to go back to being friends. I don’t want us to never see each other again, or have the media think that we were exes who can’t stand to be near each other, because bloody hell-” he pauses to take a breath, “I’m in love with you Emma Swan. None of this was an act for me; not past that first date. It’s always been real. And I can’t bear for us to go back to nothing. I care about you, and about Henry. He’s become like family to me. But if you want nothing to do with me, or if you want to just be friends, then that’s okay. And if you tell me you were acting this entire time, then I can leave you alone if it’s what you want. But I love you, Emma, and if there is even a fraction of a chance that you feel the same way towards me, then I need to know. Because I want nothing more than to be with you-”

She decides to shut him up at that, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him in for a kiss. His lips are soft against hers, as his arms wrap around her body to pull her in close.

“I love you too,” she murmurs when they break apart, and she hears coughing in the background.

“It took the two of you long enough,” Henry grins as he looks at the two of them. “Can we have pancakes, Mom?”

She laughs, and invites Killian in for breakfast. The entire time, Killian enjoys kissing her and holding her hand. She sends a quick text to Regina, telling her to hold off on that statement about their breakup; it seems like they won’t be needing it after all.

She smiles, watching Henry bond with Killian, glad Henry could have a father figure for the first time in his life.

* * *

It’s less than a year later when the two of them are standing side by side with a minister in between the two of them.

He had proposed three months into their relationship, with a ring Henry had helped him pick out, with her family by her side.

She was in love with him, and as she stood beside him, she couldn’t wait to be his wife.

She recites the vows that she had worked so hard on perfecting, trying to make sure they properly convey how she feels about the man in front of her.

“Killian, I know the two of us didn’t have the most orthodox start, but despite that, I fell for you. You were always there for Henry and I, and even with all of our jobs and public lives, you never made me feel like I was anything less than deserving of your love. I wasn’t acting for our movie together for my scenes with you. Every smile and flirtation on my part was real. I promise you, that I will love you for the rest of my life, and that I will be a friend and a compassionate partner. I will listen to you when you need someone to talk to, and I will love you unconditionally,” she said, and she can see her mother tearing up from the audience.

“Emma Nolan,” he said in return, using her given name over her stage name. “I was in a dark place when you came into my life. I was hurting and heartbroken, yet you showed me compassion and love. You gave me a family when I had none, and offered me a place in your heart. I promise you, that I will never hurt you or do anything to cause you pain. I love you, and I shall for the rest of my life.”

Robin wraps his arm around Regina, and Emma grins, knowing the two of them are happy together, just as she had been with her almost husband.

The Minister pronounces them husband and wife a moment later, and she throws her arms around him, as she kisses him, her _husband_. He’s grinning, as he kisses her back, cupping her face and moving his mouth against her own.

They had a few more projects lined up together, the public loves the two of them together, almost as much as she loves them together.

And her own son had decided to take a few roles himself. Henry, without either of their help, landed a role on _The Undead_ , as a series regular for the next season, and on top of that, he’s acting in a new movie about teenage spies with secret operations.

She twirls around in Killian’s arms as they dance, and as his lips meet hers once more, she feels like she’s living in some sort of fairy tale, at her happily ever after. She’s happier than she’s been in years, and she knows she has the rest of her life with her family together.


End file.
